The Stokes County Board of Commissioners is set to decide Monday night on a proposal to rezone land in Walnut Cove to make way for a large data center. The plan has drawn sharp opposition from community members, environmental advocates and local historians.
On a warm January evening, Stokes County resident Martha Hartley drives along a narrow road winding through rolling hills just outside Walnut Cove. She slows the car and points toward open fields bordered by forest.
“I just want you to see where it is,” Hartley says. “Cattle grazing. This is pasture land, forest land, hardwood forest. Beautiful views.”…